Minimum Wage | RI Department of Labor & Training
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Laws, Rules, And Regulations
Minimum Wage
$16.00/hour
Minimum wage in Rhode Island as of 1/1/2026
Per RI General Law §28-12, the minimum wage is set to increase to the following in the upcoming years.
Commencing January 1, 2027: $17.00 per hour
Commencing January 1, 2026: $16.00 per hour
Commencing January 1, 2025: $15.00 per hour
Commencing January 1, 2024: $14.00 per hour
Commencing January 1, 2023: $13.00 per hour
Minimum Wage Exceptions and Special Rates
Who Is Fully Exempt from Minimum Wage?
Some workers do not have to be paid minimum wage, but only in certain situations:
Federal government employees
Volunteers for charities, schools, religious groups, or nonprofits, if they are not officially employees
Certain jobs, but only in specific cases:
Newspaper carriers delivering papers to homes
Shoe shiners, only for shining shoes
Golf course caddies, only while caddying
Ushers at live theaters
Outside salespeople if most of their work is done away from the office
Family jobs:
Parent hiring their child, or a child hiring their parent
Just having the job title does not mean someone is exempt. If the work does not meet these requirements, the worker must receive the minimum wage.
Tipped Workers
Some jobs rely on tips, like waitstaff and hotel employees:
Employers can count tips toward wages
Minimum cash wage: $16 minus $3.89 tip credit, which is $12.11 per hour in 2026
Total pay including cash and tips must always be at least $16 per hour
This does not apply to taxi drivers or some small public vehicles.
Full-Time Students Under 19
Students under 19 can be paid less than full minimum wage:
Must work for a nonprofit school, religious group, library, or community service organization
Pay can be 90 percent of minimum wage, which is $14.40 per hour in 2026
14- and 15-Year-Old Workers
Younger teens have special rules:
Work 24 hours or less per week: 75 percent of minimum wage, which is $12 per hour in 2026
Work more than 24 hours per week: full $16 per hour for all hours worked
Seasonal Resorts and Camps
Some seasonal jobs can be paid less than full minimum wage:
Resorts that serve meals and are only open six months or less per year, between May 1 and October 1
Camps with structured programs such as recreation, education, or religion that:
Run seven months or less per year
Do not employ anyone full-time year round
Trailer camps are not included in this exemption.
Rhode Island Minimum Wage Laws
These rules come from Rhode Island General Laws, Title 28, Chapter 28-12:
Section 28-12-2 defines jobs and some special cases
Sections 28-12-3 and 28-12-3.1 cover minimum wage and minor workers
Section 28-12-5 covers tips and gratuities
Frequently Asked Questions
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